Skip To Main Content

Harding University Athletics

Kyler Offenbacker
Kyler Offenbacker had three hits and five RBI in the doubleheader.

Baseball by Scott Goode (3/15/15)

Harding Baseball Splits GAC Doubleheader at Southeastern Oklahoma

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

DURANT, Okla. – Harding and Southeastern Oklahoma split a Great American Conference doubleheader Sunday with the Bisons winning 15-5 in the opener and the Savage Storm taking game two 4-3. Southeastern won Saturday's series opener 15-10.

Harding moved to 10-13 overall and 5-5 in conference play, while Southeastern sets at 9-9 overall and also 5-5 in the GAC.

Harding had its best first inning of the season, and junior Andrew Fiddler pitched a seven-inning complete game as the Bisons took game one of Sunday's doubleheader 15-5.

Through its first 21 games this season, Harding had scored eight first-inning runs. In the first inning of Sunday's first game, the Bisons matched that total despite recording only two hits in the inning.

Harding scored on a passed ball, a wild pitch and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch before senior Kyler Offenbacker doubled to left center with the bases loaded to give the Bisons a 6-0 lead. The final two runs of the inning scored on an error by Southeastern second baseman Caleb Thomas that plated Harrison Hunter and Offenbacker.

Harding tacked on a single run in the third on a Hunter RBI single and exploded for five more runs in the fourth to take a 14-0 lead. Twice in the inning, Harding walked with the bases loaded, and a two-run double from Zac Stewart scored the fourth and fifth runs of the inning.

Harding starter Andrew Fiddler (2-2) did not allow a run until giving up a two-out, two-run home run to Jacob Soisson in the fourth.

Harding scored its 15th run in the fifth on an RBI single by Alan Copeland that scored Davis Richardson.

Southeastern scored three more in the bottom of the fifth, but Fiddler allowed only one base runner over the final two innings for his second complete game of the season.

Offenbacker went 1-for-3, scored twice and drove in a career-high four runs. Stewart and Richardson both had doubles and two hits, Zach Beasley went 2-for-3 and Copeland added two hits.

The Bisons walked a season-high nine times and were hit by pitches twice.

Southeastern used five pitchers, three in the first innings, and Harding scored at least once against each of them. Starter Evan Sanders (2-2) faced six Harding batters. He retired only one and the other five scored before he left the game with one out in the first.

With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two, Southeastern loaded the bases with two outs against Stewart (2-2), Harding's relief pitcher. The Savage Storm's Collin Sefcik worked the count to 3-2 and took a walk to scored Cody Coats with the game-winning run.

Harding tied game two 3-3 with three runs in the sixth inning. Chandler was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and later scored on Beasley's sacrifice fly. Copeland doubled in Richardson for the second run, and Kyler Offenbacker knotted it up with a single to center on a 2-2 pitch that scored Jesse Cox from second.

Southeastern scored single runs off Harding starter Jacob Stripling in each of the first three innings of the series finale. Chance Burcham hit a solo home run in the second, and Kyle Thomas had a solo shot in the third. Stripling allowed only three hits in five innings.

Savage Storm reliever Brady Colbert earned the win in relief.

Harding returns to action Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader against Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Zach Beasley

#27 Zach Beasley

IF
5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
L/R
Alan Copeland

#9 Alan Copeland

IF/P
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Jesse Cox

#7 Jesse Cox

OF
6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
Andrew Fiddler

#12 Andrew Fiddler

P
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Harrison Hunter

#3 Harrison Hunter

OF
5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
L/R
Kyler Offenbacker

#1 Kyler Offenbacker

IF
5' 6"
Senior
R/R
Davis Richardson

#20 Davis Richardson

C
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
S/R
Zac Stewart

#23 Zac Stewart

OF/P
5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Jacob Stripling

#21 Jacob Stripling

P
6' 2"
Junior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Zach Beasley

#27 Zach Beasley

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
L/R
IF
Alan Copeland

#9 Alan Copeland

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
IF/P
Jesse Cox

#7 Jesse Cox

6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
OF
Andrew Fiddler

#12 Andrew Fiddler

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
P
Harrison Hunter

#3 Harrison Hunter

5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
L/R
OF
Kyler Offenbacker

#1 Kyler Offenbacker

5' 6"
Senior
R/R
IF
Davis Richardson

#20 Davis Richardson

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
S/R
C
Zac Stewart

#23 Zac Stewart

5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
OF/P
Jacob Stripling

#21 Jacob Stripling

6' 2"
Junior
R/R
P